Anybody load their adv bike on a hitch carrier?? Got a Ktm 1290 and looking into options other than loading on a trailer. I have seen carriers that are rated for the weight concern I am having is loading and unloading by myself. Any thoughts? Am I going to drop it on myself and die?
Adv bike on a hitch carrier?
- Thread starter Possum
- Start date
I haul my CRF450L on a hitch carrier using a Toyota Tacoma. It works great but the bike only weighs 300 lbs plus the 100 lbs for the carrier. That puts it close to the 550 lb tongue weight capacity of the truck
So besides working out a technique that allows you to load the bike safely, you also have to consider the tongue weight capacity of the vehicle..
Personally I would be reluctant to haul a bike that big on a traditional type hitch carrier unless it had some type of lift assist.
So besides working out a technique that allows you to load the bike safely, you also have to consider the tongue weight capacity of the vehicle..
Personally I would be reluctant to haul a bike that big on a traditional type hitch carrier unless it had some type of lift assist.
Keep in mind the high torque load you’re putting on the receiver. Since the center of a moto carrier is >2’ aft of the receiver, then you’re putting much more torque load than if you had a normal 9” hitch stinger. So, it’s more overall force on the receiver than an equivalent tongue weight. Add in the bouncing tendency that a trailer would have a hard time replicating, and…. It’s just more force than the same trailer tongue weight.
So, I’d be hesitant to go as high as the published tongue weight rating for the truck. I have thought about one several times, but I always get cold feet.
No help at all on whether you’ll crush yourself with your bike. I just wanted to say all this in case you were wanting to hang this beast off the back of a crossover SUV or something.
So, I’d be hesitant to go as high as the published tongue weight rating for the truck. I have thought about one several times, but I always get cold feet.
No help at all on whether you’ll crush yourself with your bike. I just wanted to say all this in case you were wanting to hang this beast off the back of a crossover SUV or something.
I have installed alot of hitches. There is a big difference between tongue weight and even this varies with length of the ball mount. The other is rack capacity. Any thing that sticks in the reciever that acts like an oscillating lever is going to over load the hitch. I was on the bad side of things..and the main culprits were bike racks, flat racks, wheel chair lifts and long ball mounts. On the otherhand we mounted many 900lb dressers on the back of diesel pusher motorhomes.
I have a 2020 siliverado... I would not hang my klr on. I might put a a 278lb tw on a hitch rated for double 600 lb non load distribution. So I would run a class 4 or 5 hitch for 300lbs. But thats me. And seen and fixed many failures.
There are some crazy products that kinda act as a tag axle where the wheels swivel. Crazy...because its trying to skate around having a trailer and ends up way more complex.
In the past six months I've seen two vehicles stopped beside the road with broken, drooping hitches from cargo carriers. Most people don't realize that the capacity of the carrier doesn't necessarily determine the safe load so they don't look into the hitch rating and account for the cantilevered load.
Would be on a 15 Chevy 2500 or on the back of a fifth wheel travel trailer and on the latter I would upgrade and brace the hitch as necessary. Looking at the rack n ride which is designed for adventure bikes and rated to 650lbs my bike weighs in at about 550lbs.
I have a Rack n Ride (Rack n Roll), and like KYwoodsrider, I haul a CRF450L behind a Tacoma. The RnR is a solid option, and I wouldn't worry about it being the point of failure.Would be on a 15 Chevy 2500 or on the back of a fifth wheel travel trailer and on the latter I would upgrade and brace the hitch as necessary. Looking at the rack n ride which is designed for adventure bikes and rated to 650lbs my bike weighs in at about 550lbs.
If you're going to reinforce the receiver mount, you might consider adding a second receiver to the vehicle and a second rack support to the carrier. Doing that would support the weight better, and virtually eliminate the twisting & rocking that's common to hitch carriers. I've seen motorhomes set up like this, with massive Harleys on the rack, going down the highway without any sway.
Before getting too excited about putting a carrier behind a 5th wheel TT, make sure there's a decent frame under it. Some RV trailers don't have much steel supporting them.
I'd also suggest getting a longer ramp, or trying to load & unload with the vehicle below the grade of the end of the ramp to decrease the angle. When I load my bike, I park in the street with the ramp resting above the curb. It's much easier to load doing it that way, as opposed to having the truck sitting higher than the ramp's end. My only complaint with the RnR is that it could benefit from a longer ramp.
When we did this at the shop we added another reciever per side. Maybe go with a class 5 hitch. Think about a possible lead counter weight in the front bumper for a better ride. As for mounting on a trailer....we fixed alot of campers with broken frames from just tight turning with a wide axle spread. Makes a mess of spider cracks.
All in all ...I dont recommend this. Get a trailer! Ive installed 1000s of hitches. To do this the safe way is a real pain. I have people argue that it works for them. But then I see their setup didnt even bother to place taillights on their rack. And the license plate is covered. So a far cry from being road legal. That is the easiest part of the setup to fix! Most argue they have never had a problem covering up the taillights. Kinda a bad argument.
All in all ...I dont recommend this. Get a trailer! Ive installed 1000s of hitches. To do this the safe way is a real pain. I have people argue that it works for them. But then I see their setup didnt even bother to place taillights on their rack. And the license plate is covered. So a far cry from being road legal. That is the easiest part of the setup to fix! Most argue they have never had a problem covering up the taillights. Kinda a bad argument.
Vehicles such as a long wheelbase chevy express have very little frame overhang past the rear axle. This is ideal in the land of levers. Same applies to suv and cars. The closer the reciever is to the axle the better off the setup is.
That's why I decided not to use a hitch carrier on my extended Transit van. The lever arm is already huge. Plus it's unibody.
My favorite cousin’s husband is career LEO retired. They are totally into RV stuff and do safety seminars, training classes nationwide. The guy is full of stories about crazy overloads, mis loads, stupid shit people bolt on, hang off, no concept of load balance, etc, etc. personally, all my roads are crooked. I want the weight between axles. Full stop.
I was pretty skeptical about using a carrier when I found mine used for $50 from the estate of a friend I'd gone camping with a couple of times but as mentioned, if your hitch is up to the effort it works just fine. He previously used the carrier for his 250 Ruckus which weighs about the same as my trimmed down CL450 restomod, and the guy I bought my '95 Silverado from went first class when he had the hitch installed on the truck when it was new so things worked out really well. I've taken the 450 about 600 miles to upstate SC on the carrier two years in a row now with zero issues. I did rig a safety strap from inside the bed under the tonneau cover just in case so if something happens the bike won't fall in the road behind the truck. Nothing bad happened but better safe than sorry.
Nice! Proper lights and tag relocation. A+ for attention to detail. Got dolly wheels for scrape protection? CoolI was pretty skeptical about using a carrier when I found mine used for $50 from the estate of a friend I'd gone camping with a couple of times but as mentioned, if your hitch is up to the effort it works just fine. He previously used the carrier for his 250 Ruckus which weighs about the same as my trimmed down CL450 restomod, and the guy I bought my '95 Silverado from went first class when he had the hitch installed on the truck when it was new so things worked out really well. I've taken the 450 about 600 miles to upstate SC on the carrier two years in a row now with zero issues. I did rig a safety strap from inside the bed under the tonneau cover just in case so if something happens the bike won't fall in the road behind the truck. Nothing bad happened but better safe than sorry.
Thanks, I don't like getting pulled over while traveling, especially these days, and my bike blocked my taillights and tag almost completely. *It was easy to put together with a cheap light kit. I added the caster wheels to move it around and store it after taking it off the truck, it's a bit too heavy to carry with lower back problems.
I've only used it twice so far and the thing I've tried to remember is to remove the tag from the truck BEFORE putting the carrier on, and putting the tag back on the truck AFTER removing the carrier - especially when out of town. I know my county is pretty slack about stuff like that but I'm not taking any chances with other counties' LEOs
I have a 500 lb rated hitch hauler, but the heaviest bike I dare carry on it is my wife's DR350. It's about 325 lbs. If I have to carry the adv bike, I'll put it in the bed, or on a trailer (rented from U=Haul).
Yeah, I've seen bigger bikes on carriers myself but I was skeptical enough about putting my 346 lb 450 on the one I got, especially since I couldn't find any documentation on the carrier. The sticker on it was from Scooter World but they don't even sell them anymore, so knowing the PO had carried his big Ruckus on it multiple times gave me the confidence to try my 450 on it. I did add a bolt right up through the main square cross-tube from underneath and through the rail because mine hinges down with a slip-on ramp to help with loading (there's a latch under the left end of it where the front wheel loop is) because the hinge was a little sloppy. I roll the bike up on it, tip the rail down and latch it (requires 2 people to help steady the bike), then after getting the bike strapped down I put the nut on the end of the bolt where it protrudes through the rail right under the bike's engine to ensure the rail is steady. It sure beats trying to load my low-clearance street bike up into my Silverado bed, the rear of the truck sits higher than any I've owned before and it's stock height.
Folks who design and sell all these carrier devices use about 200% overage in an effort to stay out of court. Lucky you.
Check etrailer (great outfit) for info on hitch extenders. If one extends the center of vertical load rearward - that is a functional hitch extender - regardless of two coolers, the dog box or a bike - marketing nomenclature. Sir Issac and Archimedes don’t much care…
NOUN
1.
a twisted metal collar or necklace worn by ancient Teutons, Gauls, Britons, etc.
2. Physics
a measure of the tendency of a force to cause rotation, equal to the force multiplied by the perpendicular distancebetween the line of action of the force and the center of rotation
Check etrailer (great outfit) for info on hitch extenders. If one extends the center of vertical load rearward - that is a functional hitch extender - regardless of two coolers, the dog box or a bike - marketing nomenclature. Sir Issac and Archimedes don’t much care…
torque in American English
(tɔrk)NOUN
1.
a twisted metal collar or necklace worn by ancient Teutons, Gauls, Britons, etc.
2. Physics
a measure of the tendency of a force to cause rotation, equal to the force multiplied by the perpendicular distancebetween the line of action of the force and the center of rotation